We have attended over a dozen concerts here throughout the years. Â If it wasn't for the distance (almost 1.5 hour drive for us) we'd attend more. Typically, we get lawn seats and bring chairs or a blanket. Â They have several large overhead screens facing the lawn. Most recently, we saw Heart perform here and we had assigned seats in the amphitheater. I must say, the sound is just as good whether on the lawn or under roof. The vibe is definitely different on the lawn, though. Â We also noticed they have a club level seating area available with an up charge. It's halfway between the lower level seats and upper level seats. Although the view was not much better than ours in section 5, they are not fixed seats and you get a waitress/barmaid. Parking is much improved. Always a good time!
Review Source:Never ever try to go to a concert here during the South Florida Fair UNLESS you can arrive 4 hours early. We missed an entire Toby Keith concert, stuck in traffic around the Fairgrounds. We arrived 1.5 hours before the concert and spent the next 2.5 hours in traffic. By that point we were all so upset, we got in line to get in and they told us it was full and they could not admit us!! Very disorganized, very upsetting and no one was willing to give us a refund or even meet me halfway. That one bad experience has kept me from visiting this venue since. And I'm not sure that I would ever go back.
Review Source:Yee-haw!
First time here and we had a blast! Â We came for the Rib Round Up. Â We arrived around 11 am and sure they had VIP parking for $20 but if you drove one lane up parking was free. Â Wow I was like free tailgating parking, now this I am not use to. People were putting their tents up, tables and chairs, grills, coolers, oh yes pick up trucks galore, rebel flags were flying. Everyone was out to have a great time.
We tailgated for a few hours, the lot was clean, not enough port oh potty's though, the folks all around us were super chill no drama just good times. Â Cowboy boots were everywhere along with cowboy hats. Â The inside of the Amphitheatre is a good size with plenty space. Â There were so many people there but you never really felt it.
We had lawn tickets which was just fine other than I wished we had brought chairs, because my toosh was killing me at the end of the day. Â The concert was awesome with eight different country bands. Â It seemed the later it got the better the music was.
And of course the later it got the drunker people became. Â What a show the people alone. Â As far as the food went well let's just say I was not impressed. Â I thought there should have been more food vendors, prices were high for both food and alcohol, typical I know. Â The ribs we tried I found to be tough and the pulled pork sandwich was just OK. Â
Do not come to this for the food but the Amphitheatre itself was very nice. Â Restrooms were very clean.
I would so come back again for other concerts and events, loved it!
Loved the Brad Paisley concert BUT the venue, Cruzan Amphitheatre, really really really really needs to fix the lack of bathrooms situation. Â We paid $20 for parking for tailgating then had to wait in line for 20 min for the ONE porta-potty provided for hundreds of tailgaters. Â Then inside the amphitheatre the one bathroom had a wait of over 30 min for women and over 10 min wait for men. Â Why? Â Then after the concert the bathroom line was even longer so people were peeing between cars in the parking lot. Â Isn't that a health risk??? Â There is a definite need that needs to be addressed. Â I will rethink attending a concert at Cruzan Amphitheatre only because they don't meet the basic need of bathrooms!!!
Review Source:I've seen a ton of shows here and every time it has been a good experience. Parking's never an issue, leaving is always fine, beers are easy to get, no long lines. The grass lawn is the best. Depending on the show, you can have a family picnic, or you can get crazy with everyone else on the lawn. I saw Kenny Chesney, Radiohead, and some other shows there and I've never had any issues.
Review Source:Went to see 311 and Slightly Stoopid here last night. Tickets said concert began at 7:00. Walked up to gates at ten after seven only to find a line literally around the block. The line at south gate was so long that it almost reached the line at the north gate. Don't know if they changed their policies or what but it was ridiculous. We waited on line for almost 50 minutes and  missed both The Agrolites and Slightly Stoopid.  If these bands did not have such"mellow" fans there would have been a riot. Will go out of my way to avoid this venue.
Review Source:Parking is free, unless you want to pay the premium for a closer spot, but if you're tailgating before, the little walk won't hurt and you can upgrade your vodka with the money you'll save. The usual searches at the gate so you can't bring anything in and the prices inside will sting a bit. Pretty good acoustics for an outdoor venue. Bring your binoculars if you're in the back of the covered area as you're a ways off from the stage. If you're doing the lawn section, you probably just came to listen to the music and mingle with friends anyway, but bring your bug spray as it gets pretty bad in the summer months.
Review Source:Attended the Dave Matthews Band concert here this past weekend with my wife and a group of friends. Overall had a fun experience, and the amphitheatre itself is a decent place with a lot of great positives, however the negatives were too glaring and annoying to make this a great place to see a show.
We arrived at the show while the opening act was on, and traffic actually wasn't bad at all, however we did have to park quite a distance away, but it was free and staffed by a good group of people, so it wasn't too terrible. Folks were tailgating and having a good time, and the cops weren't harrassing anyone, so everyone was just getting amped for the show to start.
Security was a breeze and we went right through the lines and into the main entrance area. We decided to get a few drinks before making our way up onto the lawn to watch the show. The lines were RIDICULOUS. Not that they were that long, there are TONS of areas set up where you can buy food, drinks, beer, frozen drinks, etc... the people staffing them were abysmal. I understand they're volunteers working to help support charities, but dude, i shouldn't have to wait 30 minutes to get two beers and two bottles of water, especially when there was only 6 people in front of me. All of my friends spread out to different areas to buy something different, and it all took about the same time, so I know it wasn't just my trailer. Oh, and the price for two beers and two bottled waters? 35 dollars. I mean I guess you can expect to pay more at shows like this, but that is uncalled for. Completely ridiculous.
So we FINALLY get our drinks and head up onto the lawn, and we decide to try to go center all the way to the top. It was very difficult to find a pathway, as most people were either set up in the walkway to watch the show, or were too drunk or high to realize they're holding everybody up. After about 15 minutes, we finally got into a decent position, and once there, it was a great time. I was at the VERY top, and had a good view of DMB, the sound was great, they have some great big screens to show you the close ups. Everyone had plenty of room to spread out the blankets, relax, and enjoy themselves.
I like the fact that there were a number of drink stands set up at the very top, allowing the folks on the lawn to get mixed drinks, beers, sodas, and waters. Those lines actually moved quite quickly, although the prices were the same. Very handy to have. You know what's not handy? Having no $%*#ing restrooms up there. After pounding water and beers all day, I had to go bad. I wish I had known it would've been a 20 minute walk back down to the restrooms by the main entrance, as I barely made it back without embarrassing myself. Then had to turn around and endure a 20 minute trek back up to the seats. Awesome. Missed 40 minutes of show just to use the restroom. Thanks, Cruzan Amphitheatre.
Overall, had a decent time here. The staff was friendly, drinks were nice, and the security guards weren't hassling anyone for the ridiculous amounts of pot smoking going on. Sound and view of the show were good. But I simply can't give a good review to a place where it takes a 40 minute round trip to use the restroom, or a 30 minute line to get some drinks, and having to pay ridiculous prices for it. I've been to a number of concerts in many different locations, and this place is by far the worst. I'm not a huge DMB fan, so maybe I'm a little skewed in my perspective- if one of you're favorite acts is coming, you'd probably be more excited and have a better time, however I wouldn't recommend this place to a casual fan. There's got to be way better arenas and places to see a show in the area that can keep you from suffering through a show here.
On a whim I decided to go see the Dave Matthews concert at this place. I can say, from sitting on the lawn, there aren't bad seats anywhere. Even quite a ways from the stage, the acoustics were amazing! Additional screens allowed for a close up view as well. Also, plenty of lawn parking.
Review Source:The sound here isn't bad for a large amphitheater. Â The price of beer and food is outrageous, but I guess that's what you come to expect at places like this. Â I highly recommend paying the $20 for the Premier parking otherwise you'll be parking in West-Bumble #$*&. Â Not only does that allow you to park closer, but it also allows for a quick exit after the show. Â
Great part about this place is that you can bring a folding chair to use on the lawn. Â Not my favorite place to see a show, but definitely not somewhere I'd avoid.
Having been here a handful of times ranging from No Doubt to Earth, Wind & Fire to Velvet Revolver (Guns N' Roses + Scott Weiland), I must say the sound was a lot better than I had anticipated for such a big venue. There easily can be different experiences had since it's such a sprawled out place.
If you're in the lower section underneath the hanger I think you'll be in for a treat. Plus if it rains you're completely protected. If you're off the side, you may not appreciate the sound as much. Further back and in the center was obviously the best sound experience I've had there. I can't speak about the lawn seats, but I can't imagine for the price you'd have a bad time.
I don't judge venues on the actual performances, that's on the artist. I do hold venues responsible for their organization, professionalism and most importantly their cleanliness. Getting in and out of the Cruzan isn't fun, but there is ample parking available so you should never have to worry about finding a spot. My suggestion is pay a little extra money for better parking so you aren't walking miles after the show.
Most of these venues sub their work out to 3rd parties so it definitely can be different from one show to the next.
The environment pretty much parallels that of an carnival. If you are looking for an intimate show, with a little better food/drink option and maybe not your typical concert denizen's, maybe this isn't for you. It isn't a bad venue by any means, you just need to know what you're dealing with prior to making any concert commitments. I think it'll only make for a better experience.
Not the most organized venue out there when it comes to handling large crowds. Vehicle traffic is poorly controlled, gate crew seems lackadaisical and unattentive, the parking crew is inefficient, and the bathrooms are undersized for a large crowd (19,000 max). So take a piss when you can (if you can) & a #2 is not advised. The box office seems to be the only service of competence.
I never really cared to go to a concert to eat food, so the food choices were as good as I expect them to be. Drink choices are mandated by Cruzan (of course) but other than that all they have are typical beers and well liquors of no particular brand or quality I've ever known. I'm pretty sure the vodka they sold literally said just VODKA on the bottle and the tequila bottle said "Tekilla" (seriously).
As far as the venue, there isn't a bad seat in the building and if it rains you have a canopy to cover you if you are sitting in the grand stands. Also, if you go to this venue and you smoke, please excuse yourself from the common areas and stands. It's kinda hard to enjoy an event with smoke blowing in your face. I got to see Weezy F Baby, Rick Ross, Keri Hilson, Lloyd, and the Far East Movement here and it was pretty awesome. The light crew is on point, and the audio seems to project well.
That's all...
I went to the Jason Aldean show too this past weekend, July 17. It was a great show, but you have to get to these shows WAY, WAY, early. Traffic was brutal on the main road, and had I known Belvedere Road paralleled  Southern (US98), and had far fewer cars on it. Get to the sold out show earlier!!!
Inside was easy to wade through, really no different than Lakewood in Atlanta. Covered seating is a must for summertime shows, rain, obviously is a standard, and it rained before the show here too. Beverage stands were everywhere, they now sell wine for $32 a bottle, and allow ladies to have real cups as well as ice to keep it cold. I thought the service was fantastic. Yeah, 11 bucks for a beer, at least it was 24 oz, it could have been worse, could have been at the NFL and charged 8 bucks for 16 oz, so things are never as bad as you think!
The only issue I had was the fact that after the show, on the south entrance, there was a serious lack of light to show you where to go for your car. There were parking lots on every stretch of grass, but there are businesses situated in and around the amphitheatre, so there is no set area for parking, need to make sure you remember where you parked because at night, it all looks the same with the sub-standard lighting offered.
My experience from going to the cruzan a half dozen times is that the ticket are usually cheap the beverages and food are way over priced, the sound quality is usually sub-par. My biggest complaint is the event staff, at least that was the case my latest visit. The event staff seemed to be more focused on limiting people taking videos with their cell phones than they did with people smoking weed 3 feet from a child and nearly puking on our feet. The staff was notified 3 times that the people behind us were smoking weed, screaming at the top of their lungs, puking, and occasionally spilling beer on us, but they decided that this didn't merit being kicked out even after the third time, but heaven forbid i bring in a DSLR camera or try to enter the seating area through section 4 instead of section 5 or pull out a camera phone and take a 5 sec video. Bottom line; I paid $170 for 2 seats and got a $25 value.
And if Cruzan can manage to get a control on their illegal drug issue, they should go ahead and ban cigarette smoking, i shouldn't have to have smoke blown in my face and smell like shit for the rest of the night.
It's the only amphitheatre in West Palm Beach and it almost completely outdoor... so hope it doesn't rain! I prefer to experience a concert that has stadium/arena seating indoors but it's just conveniently located and usually less expensive to go to a concert here. (Also some bands/perfomances are only showing here and not other locations in south florida).
Review Source:I'm hoping this was just a bad night for the Amphitheatre, because it was pretty bad.
I thought I was doing the right thing by using their paperless ticket option but upon arrival I realized it was a bad idea. They have these really cool scanners that swipe the card you used to purchase your ticket and let you right in, unfortunately on the night I was there this function had some sort of malfunction.
We stood in three different lines for close to 45 minutes and just made it in before the main act went on stage.
I have to say once we got in I felt they seemed to have it together. Hopefully, they can make it up to me the next time I attend an event there. I have to say, I could get used to the idea of listening to concerts on the lawn. :)
not the best ,not the worst ,somewhere in between. fun to have seats, fun to be on the lawn. expensive beers as expected, long lines, free parking craploads of traffic to get in this place. huge venue. lots of vendors. sound system could improve. Saw JJ, next up KOL+ Black Keys. this time i'm payin $20 to park and proceed past the line.
Review Source:My first experience at the Cruzan Amphitheater was last night when my hubby and I attended the John Mayer concert. We got lawn tickets since we thought it would be nice to sit and lay on a blanket while listening to John Mayer. How romantic is that right? Well, what we imagined was not what really happened.
The music was great. John Mayer was splendid.
I think that Cruzan should make an effort to: 1. regulate the alcohol or ban the selling, 2. crack down on those smoking weed here, and 3. ban smoking cigarettes. High hopes... I know. But for these reasons I will not be coming back to the Cruzan Amphitheater.
PS. A bottle of water will run you $4.50 and beer $10-17. The prices are outrageous. Bring your own bottle of water and snacks if you don't want to spend a fortune on bad carnival-like food and a regular bottle of water.
I've been to this place several times. Most recently for Jack Johnson - I got there right on time for the show to start, and had to find people - I should have worn my running shoes! I seriously had to trek about a mile to find the right parking lot - and what made it more difficult was that I was following the direction of drunk people. Entering was a breeze - they made me throw out my 1/2 full water bottle - but I wasn't there to drink water. What did surprise me was the $10 24oz Bud or Bud Light option though - you'd figure this place would attempt to serve better beer. I'd pay $10 for a 12 oz Stella, but ugh - I drank the bud light anyway. We hiked up the hill to the lawn (never been on the lawn before) and it was ok - I'm glad I wasn't excited to get up close and personal to JJ, I was there more for the company. The only good thing about the lawn is that you can light up a joint, somewhat unnoticed. Other than that - it's just ok. If I wasn't so happy to get away from my kids for one night - then I'd probably have given this place one star - or none! Oh - and I didn't even try to go to the bathroom! I ended up traversing through the bushes - I was scolded by security upon exiting :)
Review Source:Like Toniann, I was at the Cruzan Amphitheatre to enjoy Dave Matthews. Â I was lucky enough to enjoy Friday and Saturday's show this past weekend.
When traveling to the Cruzan, I'd recommend not going up Southern or whichever way Google Maps or Mapquest recommend. Â I'd go up Okeechobee and go in through the back. Â Unless of course you like sitting in traffic then go ahead and stick to your route. Â I'd also recommend spending the 20 bucks to park in the VIP section. Â My friends and I were able to get in and out of the lot fairly quickly. Â Plus you get the cool feeling of being a VIP for a brief moment.
The Cruzan offers some seating options. Â You could do the whole Woodstock thing and sit on the lawn. Â If that isn't your cup of tea then you can grab seats under the covered pavilion. Â Well mostly covered as I discovered on Friday. Â If you are in sec. 6 and in row EE then you aren't covered. Â If you have the money to splurge you could always join the pit area right by the stage. Â The one thing that all these seats have in common is the guarantee that you will sweat your butt off!
All in all I think the Cruzan is one of the better amphitheatres in Florida. Â In my opinion it is better than the one in Tampa. Â If the band is right then it is definitely worth the drive out to Cruzan. Â Although I would strongly recommend that they get an ice cream stand. Â I was craving some ice cream to temporarily halt my own personal sweatfest. Â Oh they might as well make weed legal in West Palm. Â Good lord! Â It was in the air everywhere. Â No escaping it. Hate that damn smell. Â
p.s. When Dave comes back to West Palm (they are taking next year off), I would recommend seeing the Saturday show. Â Unless you want to see them both! Â Then fine go see them both!
p.s.s I have never seen longer lines for the women's bathroom! Â It was so bad I saw chicks holding it and peeing in public! Â Classy! But hey I can't blame them. Â When you gotta go...
Great venue to attend a concert WHEN the weather is nice. I have sat  in seats and also lawn this past year. Actually prefer the lawn. Check out your neighbors to be before you set down your blanket/lawn chairs. Saw Styx there last night and the sound was awesome. Bring binos if you want get closer look of band. BRING YOUR OWN FOOD. PRICES ARE THROUGH THE ROOF. Can not bring in alcoholiic beverages but can bring in one water bottle..$10 for Bud on tap OUCH! Good effect of outragious drink prices is that you will not encounter many trashed people. Parking is fine. Long restroom lines for women but no problem for guys.Don't need to spend extra $$ for VIP parking. . .
Review Source:EDIT: 2.5. It's still a cool venue, but I will never sit in the field (not in seats) again. I'm a pretty laid back person, especially at a concert after tailgating all day, but there are people literally stepping on you constantly. Like, you can look down and see 16 different body parts and not know which belongs to who.
I think they cram waaaaaaaaaaaay more people than they should. I went to the bathroom once and I could not even make it back to my group. I just listened from the vendors area, because it's not like I could even hear the concert sitting in the field. Too bad real seats are like $350 and up.
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3.5
I think I'd give it another half star if it wasn't so damn far away, but I guess that's not the venue's fault. I imagine it's a good location since people as far south as Miami drive up, and people as far north as Orlando drive down.
I've been here for about 15 shows over the years. Part of the fun is always the pre-show. I'm not talking about an opening act, but the tailgating. Depending on the concert, you can get a glimpse into the lifestyle of the particular artist's typical fans. For example, it's pick-up trucks and rebel flags at country shows, Mullets and Zoobas at 80's rock shows and the moderate hippy / frat boy crowd for Dave Matthews (who I'm seeing tomorrow).
The ampitheater itself is huge, good luck trying to find someone (that always seems to happen to me). If you spring for the regular seats, they're pretty decent with a good view. I only sat in seats once, and that was for the recent Coldplay concert. Normally I sit in the trenches on the lawn. You better get real friendly with your neighbor because you're gonna be pretty much sitting on top of them. People WILL be stepping all over your sheet / towel and possibly body parts. You can't get uptight about it, because it will happen. Just have some $13 beers and enjoy the show.
I have mixed emotions about this place. Â First off, the parking sucks donkey balls. Â When you leave the venue, be prepared to stick it out for a while. Â If you have PIT tickets, good luck. Â These people make you run your ass all the way to the entrance of the stage, and then you gotta wait for a wristband. It's pretty unorganized and you waste your life waiting out there to get a good spot. Especially what they put you through. Â As for the sound, I'm always in the pit so I can't tell you how it sounds from the lawn. Â I leave the place with my ears ringing, so I really can't have any complaints. Â To me, all the seats look mushed together and the lawn is just gross. I've done the lawn once and will never EVER do that crap again. Â I think I smelled like weed, beer, and sweat from the people around me. Not fun. Â Anyways, I've had some great moments at this place so I'm in the middle on this one.
Review Source:It takes a bottle of Cruzan to forget how bad this place sucks. I hate it second only to Mizner Park. After my first experience there (Radiohead, 5/08) I can't even listen to Radiohead anymore. It gets so packed and gross, the seats are WAY too close together for comfort and the parking is a million miles away unless you get there really early. My second experience was slightly better (Nine Inch Nails/Jane's Addiction, 5/09) but frankly, Nine Inch Nails could play a show while I'm getting a route canal and a Pap done at the same time, IN A LANDFILL, and it would still be enjoyable. Only my undying love for Trent Reznor can transcend this grody, trailer trash dump.
Review Source:Been here for at least 20 concerts over the years (used to be a real concert whore before the offspring (kids, not the band) came around). Â Always a good visit. Â The sound has been suspect on a couple of shows, but I think that was more on the bands in question than the venue. Â The grass area is fun to watch a show, plus if it's been raining, it's great for watching people slip and slide down the hill (or to do it yourself!)
The food & drink is pretty solid, but is at venue prices, so bring some loot with you, as the ATM's aren't overly prevelant and usually have long lines. Â If you are interested in buying a band's way overpriced tour crap, the two stands are usually very slow (get the crap on ebay). Â
Parking is good. Â Great place to see an outdoor show.
A priest, a youth minister, a-used-to-wannabe-nun and I walk into an amphitheatre..
Yeah it's true. It happened. haha
A visit to my cousin ended up in a trip to Sound Music Amphitheatre (renamed Cruzan Amphitheatre in early 2008 due to Cruzan Rum's new sponsorship) for a Christian concert. This kind of space usually isn't my thang, but since I wasn't entirely invested in the performers, I thought the seats were fine. Far from the stage, but still great.. decently comfortable plasticy rows. The sound was absolutely fantastic and on a nice summer night the breeze feels damn near heavenly (maybe it had to do with the Christian music.. I'll let you know in another half century or so).
The bathrooms are a tad bit horrendous (to be expected with such a large crowd) and the fairground-esque food is so so, but this venue is definitely a nice alternative to a sound and sweat contained arena. Weather pending of course. Get there early.. or get there a little late.. you'll still be waiting on the road to get to the parking. heh
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